Allow 'leann ask' to accept a positional question

* feat: support configurable local llm endpoints

* docs

README.md

@@ -546,6 +546,9 @@ leann search my-docs "machine learning concepts"
 # Interactive chat with your documents
 leann ask my-docs --interactive
 
+# Ask a single question (non-interactive)
+leann ask my-docs "Where are prompts configured?"
+
 # List all your indexes
 leann list
 

apps/base_rag_example.py

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from typing import Any
 import dotenv
 from leann.api import LeannBuilder, LeannChat
 from leann.registry import register_project_directory
+from leann.settings import resolve_ollama_host, resolve_openai_api_key, resolve_openai_base_url
 
 dotenv.load_dotenv()
 
@@ -78,6 +79,24 @@ class BaseRAGExample(ABC):
             choices=["sentence-transformers", "openai", "mlx", "ollama"],
             help="Embedding backend mode (default: sentence-transformers), we provide sentence-transformers, openai, mlx, or ollama",
         )
+        embedding_group.add_argument(
+            "--embedding-host",
+            type=str,
+            default=None,
+            help="Override Ollama-compatible embedding host",
+        )
+        embedding_group.add_argument(
+            "--embedding-api-base",
+            type=str,
+            default=None,
+            help="Base URL for OpenAI-compatible embedding services",
+        )
+        embedding_group.add_argument(
+            "--embedding-api-key",
+            type=str,
+            default=None,
+            help="API key for embedding service (defaults to OPENAI_API_KEY)",
+        )
 
         # LLM parameters
         llm_group = parser.add_argument_group("LLM Parameters")
@@ -97,8 +116,8 @@ class BaseRAGExample(ABC):
         llm_group.add_argument(
             "--llm-host",
             type=str,
-            default="http://localhost:11434",
-            help="Host for Ollama API (default: http://localhost:11434)",
+            default=None,
+            help="Host for Ollama-compatible APIs (defaults to LEANN_OLLAMA_HOST/OLLAMA_HOST)",
         )
         llm_group.add_argument(
             "--thinking-budget",
@@ -107,6 +126,18 @@ class BaseRAGExample(ABC):
             default=None,
             help="Thinking budget for reasoning models (low/medium/high). Supported by GPT-Oss:20b and other reasoning models.",
         )
+        llm_group.add_argument(
+            "--llm-api-base",
+            type=str,
+            default=None,
+            help="Base URL for OpenAI-compatible APIs",
+        )
+        llm_group.add_argument(
+            "--llm-api-key",
+            type=str,
+            default=None,
+            help="API key for OpenAI-compatible APIs (defaults to OPENAI_API_KEY)",
+        )
 
         # AST Chunking parameters
         ast_group = parser.add_argument_group("AST Chunking Parameters")
@@ -205,9 +236,13 @@ class BaseRAGExample(ABC):
 
         if args.llm == "openai":
             config["model"] = args.llm_model or "gpt-4o"
+            config["base_url"] = resolve_openai_base_url(args.llm_api_base)
+            resolved_key = resolve_openai_api_key(args.llm_api_key)
+            if resolved_key:
+                config["api_key"] = resolved_key
         elif args.llm == "ollama":
             config["model"] = args.llm_model or "llama3.2:1b"
-            config["host"] = args.llm_host
+            config["host"] = resolve_ollama_host(args.llm_host)
         elif args.llm == "hf":
             config["model"] = args.llm_model or "Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct"
         elif args.llm == "simulated":
@@ -223,10 +258,20 @@ class BaseRAGExample(ABC):
         print(f"\n[Building Index] Creating {self.name} index...")
         print(f"Total text chunks: {len(texts)}")
 
+        embedding_options: dict[str, Any] = {}
+        if args.embedding_mode == "ollama":
+            embedding_options["host"] = resolve_ollama_host(args.embedding_host)
+        elif args.embedding_mode == "openai":
+            embedding_options["base_url"] = resolve_openai_base_url(args.embedding_api_base)
+            resolved_embedding_key = resolve_openai_api_key(args.embedding_api_key)
+            if resolved_embedding_key:
+                embedding_options["api_key"] = resolved_embedding_key
+
         builder = LeannBuilder(
             backend_name=args.backend_name,
             embedding_model=args.embedding_model,
             embedding_mode=args.embedding_mode,
+            embedding_options=embedding_options or None,
             graph_degree=args.graph_degree,
             complexity=args.build_complexity,
             is_compact=not args.no_compact,

docs/configuration-guide.md

@@ -83,6 +83,81 @@ ollama pull nomic-embed-text
 
 </details>
 
+## Local & Remote Inference Endpoints
+
+> Applies to both LLMs (`leann ask`) and embeddings (`leann build`).
+
+LEANN now treats Ollama, LM Studio, and other OpenAI-compatible runtimes as first-class providers. You can point LEANN at any compatible endpoint – either on the same machine or across the network – with a couple of flags or environment variables.
+
+### One-Time Environment Setup
+
+```bash
+# Works for OpenAI-compatible runtimes such as LM Studio, vLLM, SGLang, llamafile, etc.
+export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key"            # or leave unset for local servers that do not check keys
+export OPENAI_BASE_URL="http://localhost:1234/v1"
+
+# Ollama-compatible runtimes (Ollama, Ollama on another host, llamacpp-server, etc.)
+export LEANN_OLLAMA_HOST="http://localhost:11434"   # falls back to OLLAMA_HOST or LOCAL_LLM_ENDPOINT
+```
+
+LEANN also recognises `LEANN_LOCAL_LLM_HOST` (highest priority), `LEANN_OPENAI_BASE_URL`, and `LOCAL_OPENAI_BASE_URL`, so existing scripts continue to work.
+
+### Passing Hosts Per Command
+
+```bash
+# Build an index with a remote embedding server
+leann build my-notes \
+  --docs ./notes \
+  --embedding-mode openai \
+  --embedding-model text-embedding-qwen3-embedding-0.6b \
+  --embedding-api-base http://192.168.1.50:1234/v1 \
+  --embedding-api-key local-dev-key
+
+# Query using a local LM Studio instance via OpenAI-compatible API
+leann ask my-notes \
+  --llm openai \
+  --llm-model qwen3-8b \
+  --api-base http://localhost:1234/v1 \
+  --api-key local-dev-key
+
+# Query an Ollama instance running on another box
+leann ask my-notes \
+  --llm ollama \
+  --llm-model qwen3:14b \
+  --host http://192.168.1.101:11434
+```
+
+⚠️ **Make sure the endpoint is reachable**: when your inference server runs on a home/workstation and the index/search job runs in the cloud, the server must be able to reach the host you configured. Typical options include:
+
+- Expose a public IP (and open the relevant port) on the machine that hosts LM Studio/Ollama.
+- Configure router or cloud provider port forwarding.
+- Tunnel traffic through tools like `tailscale`, `cloudflared`, or `ssh -R`.
+
+When you set these options while building an index, LEANN stores them in `meta.json`. Any subsequent `leann ask` or searcher process automatically reuses the same provider settings – even when we spawn background embedding servers. This makes the “server without GPU talking to my local workstation” workflow from [issue #80](https://github.com/yichuan-w/LEANN/issues/80#issuecomment-2287230548) work out-of-the-box.
+
+**Tip:** If your runtime does not require an API key (many local stacks don’t), leave `--api-key` unset. LEANN will skip injecting credentials.
+
+### Python API Usage
+
+You can pass the same configuration from Python:
+
+```python
+from leann.api import LeannBuilder
+
+builder = LeannBuilder(
+    backend_name="hnsw",
+    embedding_mode="openai",
+    embedding_model="text-embedding-qwen3-embedding-0.6b",
+    embedding_options={
+        "base_url": "http://192.168.1.50:1234/v1",
+        "api_key": "local-dev-key",
+    },
+)
+builder.build_index("./indexes/my-notes", chunks)
+```
+
+`embedding_options` is persisted to the index `meta.json`, so subsequent `LeannSearcher` or `LeannChat` sessions automatically reuse the same provider settings (the embedding server manager forwards them to the provider for you).
+
 ## Index Selection: Matching Your Scale
 
 ### HNSW (Hierarchical Navigable Small World)

packages/leann-backend-diskann/leann_backend_diskann/diskann_embedding_server.py

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import sys
 import threading
 import time
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import Any, Optional
 
 import numpy as np
 import zmq
@@ -32,6 +32,16 @@ if not logger.handlers:
     logger.propagate = False
 
 
+_RAW_PROVIDER_OPTIONS = os.getenv("LEANN_EMBEDDING_OPTIONS")
+try:
+    PROVIDER_OPTIONS: dict[str, Any] = (
+        json.loads(_RAW_PROVIDER_OPTIONS) if _RAW_PROVIDER_OPTIONS else {}
+    )
+except json.JSONDecodeError:
+    logger.warning("Failed to parse LEANN_EMBEDDING_OPTIONS; ignoring provider options")
+    PROVIDER_OPTIONS = {}
+
+
 def create_diskann_embedding_server(
     passages_file: Optional[str] = None,
     zmq_port: int = 5555,
@@ -181,7 +191,12 @@ def create_diskann_embedding_server(
                     logger.debug(f"Text lengths: {[len(t) for t in texts[:5]]}")  # Show first 5
 
                 # Process embeddings using unified computation
-                embeddings = compute_embeddings(texts, model_name, mode=embedding_mode)
+                embeddings = compute_embeddings(
+                    texts,
+                    model_name,
+                    mode=embedding_mode,
+                    provider_options=PROVIDER_OPTIONS,
+                )
                 logger.info(
                     f"Computed embeddings for {len(texts)} texts, shape: {embeddings.shape}"
                 )
@@ -296,7 +311,12 @@ def create_diskann_embedding_server(
                             continue
 
                     # Process the request
-                    embeddings = compute_embeddings(texts, model_name, mode=embedding_mode)
+                    embeddings = compute_embeddings(
+                        texts,
+                        model_name,
+                        mode=embedding_mode,
+                        provider_options=PROVIDER_OPTIONS,
+                    )
                     logger.info(f"Computed embeddings shape: {embeddings.shape}")
 
                     # Validation

packages/leann-backend-hnsw/leann_backend_hnsw/hnsw_embedding_server.py

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import sys
 import threading
 import time
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import Any, Optional
 
 import msgpack
 import numpy as np
@@ -45,6 +45,15 @@ if log_path:
 
 logger.propagate = False
 
+_RAW_PROVIDER_OPTIONS = os.getenv("LEANN_EMBEDDING_OPTIONS")
+try:
+    PROVIDER_OPTIONS: dict[str, Any] = (
+        json.loads(_RAW_PROVIDER_OPTIONS) if _RAW_PROVIDER_OPTIONS else {}
+    )
+except json.JSONDecodeError:
+    logger.warning("Failed to parse LEANN_EMBEDDING_OPTIONS; ignoring provider options")
+    PROVIDER_OPTIONS = {}
+
 
 def create_hnsw_embedding_server(
     passages_file: Optional[str] = None,
@@ -151,7 +160,12 @@ def create_hnsw_embedding_server(
                     ):
                         last_request_type = "text"
                         last_request_length = len(request)
-                        embeddings = compute_embeddings(request, model_name, mode=embedding_mode)
+                        embeddings = compute_embeddings(
+                            request,
+                            model_name,
+                            mode=embedding_mode,
+                            provider_options=PROVIDER_OPTIONS,
+                        )
                         rep_socket.send(msgpack.packb(embeddings.tolist()))
                         e2e_end = time.time()
                         logger.info(f"⏱️  Text embedding E2E time: {e2e_end - e2e_start:.6f}s")
@@ -200,7 +214,10 @@ def create_hnsw_embedding_server(
                         if texts:
                             try:
                                 embeddings = compute_embeddings(
-                                    texts, model_name, mode=embedding_mode
+                                    texts,
+                                    model_name,
+                                    mode=embedding_mode,
+                                    provider_options=PROVIDER_OPTIONS,
                                 )
                                 logger.info(
                                     f"Computed embeddings for {len(texts)} texts, shape: {embeddings.shape}"
@@ -265,7 +282,12 @@ def create_hnsw_embedding_server(
 
                     if texts:
                         try:
-                            embeddings = compute_embeddings(texts, model_name, mode=embedding_mode)
+                            embeddings = compute_embeddings(
+                                texts,
+                                model_name,
+                                mode=embedding_mode,
+                                provider_options=PROVIDER_OPTIONS,
+                            )
                             logger.info(
                                 f"Computed embeddings for {len(texts)} texts, shape: {embeddings.shape}"
                             )

packages/leann-core/src/leann/api.py

@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ def compute_embeddings(
     use_server: bool = True,
     port: Optional[int] = None,
     is_build=False,
+    provider_options: Optional[dict[str, Any]] = None,
 ) -> np.ndarray:
     """
     Computes embeddings using different backends.
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ def compute_embeddings(
             model_name,
             mode=mode,
             is_build=is_build,
+            provider_options=provider_options,
         )
 
 
@@ -278,6 +280,7 @@ class LeannBuilder:
         embedding_model: str = "facebook/contriever",
         dimensions: Optional[int] = None,
         embedding_mode: str = "sentence-transformers",
+        embedding_options: Optional[dict[str, Any]] = None,
         **backend_kwargs,
     ):
         self.backend_name = backend_name
@@ -300,6 +303,7 @@ class LeannBuilder:
         self.embedding_model = embedding_model
         self.dimensions = dimensions
         self.embedding_mode = embedding_mode
+        self.embedding_options = embedding_options or {}
 
         # Check if we need to use cosine distance for normalized embeddings
         normalized_embeddings_models = {
@@ -407,6 +411,7 @@ class LeannBuilder:
                     self.embedding_model,
                     self.embedding_mode,
                     use_server=False,
+                    provider_options=self.embedding_options,
                 )[0]
             )
         path = Path(index_path)
@@ -446,6 +451,7 @@ class LeannBuilder:
             self.embedding_mode,
             use_server=False,
             is_build=True,
+            provider_options=self.embedding_options,
         )
         string_ids = [chunk["id"] for chunk in self.chunks]
         current_backend_kwargs = {**self.backend_kwargs, "dimensions": self.dimensions}
@@ -472,6 +478,9 @@ class LeannBuilder:
             ],
         }
 
+        if self.embedding_options:
+            meta_data["embedding_options"] = self.embedding_options
+
         # Add storage status flags for HNSW backend
         if self.backend_name == "hnsw":
             is_compact = self.backend_kwargs.get("is_compact", True)
@@ -592,6 +601,9 @@ class LeannBuilder:
             "embeddings_source": str(embeddings_file),
         }
 
+        if self.embedding_options:
+            meta_data["embedding_options"] = self.embedding_options
+
         # Add storage status flags for HNSW backend
         if self.backend_name == "hnsw":
             is_compact = self.backend_kwargs.get("is_compact", True)
@@ -673,6 +685,7 @@ class LeannBuilder:
             self.embedding_mode,
             use_server=False,
             is_build=True,
+            provider_options=self.embedding_options,
         )
 
         embedding_dim = embeddings.shape[1]
@@ -771,6 +784,7 @@ class LeannSearcher:
         self.embedding_model = self.meta_data["embedding_model"]
         # Support both old and new format
         self.embedding_mode = self.meta_data.get("embedding_mode", "sentence-transformers")
+        self.embedding_options = self.meta_data.get("embedding_options", {})
         # Delegate portability handling to PassageManager
         self.passage_manager = PassageManager(
             self.meta_data.get("passage_sources", []), metadata_file_path=self.meta_path_str
@@ -782,6 +796,8 @@ class LeannSearcher:
             raise ValueError(f"Backend '{backend_name}' not found.")
         final_kwargs = {**self.meta_data.get("backend_kwargs", {}), **backend_kwargs}
         final_kwargs["enable_warmup"] = enable_warmup
+        if self.embedding_options:
+            final_kwargs.setdefault("embedding_options", self.embedding_options)
         self.backend_impl: LeannBackendSearcherInterface = backend_factory.searcher(
             index_path, **final_kwargs
         )

packages/leann-core/src/leann/chat.py

@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ from typing import Any, Optional
 
 import torch
 
+from .settings import resolve_ollama_host, resolve_openai_api_key, resolve_openai_base_url
+
 # Configure logging
 logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -310,11 +312,12 @@ def search_hf_models(query: str, limit: int = 10) -> list[str]:
 
 
 def validate_model_and_suggest(
-    model_name: str, llm_type: str, host: str = "http://localhost:11434"
+    model_name: str, llm_type: str, host: Optional[str] = None
 ) -> Optional[str]:
     """Validate model name and provide suggestions if invalid"""
     if llm_type == "ollama":
-        available_models = check_ollama_models(host)
+        resolved_host = resolve_ollama_host(host)
+        available_models = check_ollama_models(resolved_host)
         if available_models and model_name not in available_models:
             error_msg = f"Model '{model_name}' not found in your local Ollama installation."
 
@@ -457,19 +460,19 @@ class LLMInterface(ABC):
 class OllamaChat(LLMInterface):
     """LLM interface for Ollama models."""
 
-    def __init__(self, model: str = "llama3:8b", host: str = "http://localhost:11434"):
+    def __init__(self, model: str = "llama3:8b", host: Optional[str] = None):
         self.model = model
-        self.host = host
-        logger.info(f"Initializing OllamaChat with model='{model}' and host='{host}'")
+        self.host = resolve_ollama_host(host)
+        logger.info(f"Initializing OllamaChat with model='{model}' and host='{self.host}'")
         try:
             import requests
 
             # Check if the Ollama server is responsive
-            if host:
-                requests.get(host)
+            if self.host:
+                requests.get(self.host)
 
             # Pre-check model availability with helpful suggestions
-            model_error = validate_model_and_suggest(model, "ollama", host)
+            model_error = validate_model_and_suggest(model, "ollama", self.host)
             if model_error:
                 raise ValueError(model_error)
 
@@ -478,9 +481,11 @@ class OllamaChat(LLMInterface):
                 "The 'requests' library is required for Ollama. Please install it with 'pip install requests'."
             )
         except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError:
-            logger.error(f"Could not connect to Ollama at {host}. Please ensure Ollama is running.")
+            logger.error(
+                f"Could not connect to Ollama at {self.host}. Please ensure Ollama is running."
+            )
             raise ConnectionError(
-                f"Could not connect to Ollama at {host}. Please ensure Ollama is running."
+                f"Could not connect to Ollama at {self.host}. Please ensure Ollama is running."
             )
 
     def ask(self, prompt: str, **kwargs) -> str:
@@ -737,21 +742,31 @@ class GeminiChat(LLMInterface):
 class OpenAIChat(LLMInterface):
     """LLM interface for OpenAI models."""
 
-    def __init__(self, model: str = "gpt-4o", api_key: Optional[str] = None):
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        model: str = "gpt-4o",
+        api_key: Optional[str] = None,
+        base_url: Optional[str] = None,
+    ):
         self.model = model
-        self.api_key = api_key or os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY")
+        self.base_url = resolve_openai_base_url(base_url)
+        self.api_key = resolve_openai_api_key(api_key)
 
         if not self.api_key:
             raise ValueError(
                 "OpenAI API key is required. Set OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable or pass api_key parameter."
             )
 
-        logger.info(f"Initializing OpenAI Chat with model='{model}'")
+        logger.info(
+            "Initializing OpenAI Chat with model='%s' and base_url='%s'",
+            model,
+            self.base_url,
+        )
 
         try:
             import openai
 
-            self.client = openai.OpenAI(api_key=self.api_key)
+            self.client = openai.OpenAI(api_key=self.api_key, base_url=self.base_url)
         except ImportError:
             raise ImportError(
                 "The 'openai' library is required for OpenAI models. Please install it with 'pip install openai'."
@@ -841,12 +856,16 @@ def get_llm(llm_config: Optional[dict[str, Any]] = None) -> LLMInterface:
     if llm_type == "ollama":
         return OllamaChat(
             model=model or "llama3:8b",
-            host=llm_config.get("host", "http://localhost:11434"),
+            host=llm_config.get("host"),
         )
     elif llm_type == "hf":
         return HFChat(model_name=model or "deepseek-ai/deepseek-llm-7b-chat")
     elif llm_type == "openai":
-        return OpenAIChat(model=model or "gpt-4o", api_key=llm_config.get("api_key"))
+        return OpenAIChat(
+            model=model or "gpt-4o",
+            api_key=llm_config.get("api_key"),
+            base_url=llm_config.get("base_url"),
+        )
     elif llm_type == "gemini":
         return GeminiChat(model=model or "gemini-2.5-flash", api_key=llm_config.get("api_key"))
     elif llm_type == "simulated":

packages/leann-core/src/leann/cli.py

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from tqdm import tqdm
 
 from .api import LeannBuilder, LeannChat, LeannSearcher
 from .registry import register_project_directory
+from .settings import resolve_ollama_host, resolve_openai_api_key, resolve_openai_base_url
 
 
 def extract_pdf_text_with_pymupdf(file_path: str) -> str:
@@ -123,6 +124,24 @@ Examples:
             choices=["sentence-transformers", "openai", "mlx", "ollama"],
             help="Embedding backend mode (default: sentence-transformers)",
         )
+        build_parser.add_argument(
+            "--embedding-host",
+            type=str,
+            default=None,
+            help="Override Ollama-compatible embedding host",
+        )
+        build_parser.add_argument(
+            "--embedding-api-base",
+            type=str,
+            default=None,
+            help="Base URL for OpenAI-compatible embedding services",
+        )
+        build_parser.add_argument(
+            "--embedding-api-key",
+            type=str,
+            default=None,
+            help="API key for embedding service (defaults to OPENAI_API_KEY)",
+        )
         build_parser.add_argument(
             "--force", "-f", action="store_true", help="Force rebuild existing index"
         )
@@ -238,6 +257,11 @@ Examples:
         # Ask command
         ask_parser = subparsers.add_parser("ask", help="Ask questions")
         ask_parser.add_argument("index_name", help="Index name")
+        ask_parser.add_argument(
+            "query",
+            nargs="?",
+            help="Question to ask (omit for prompt or when using --interactive)",
+        )
         ask_parser.add_argument(
             "--llm",
             type=str,
@@ -248,7 +272,12 @@ Examples:
         ask_parser.add_argument(
             "--model", type=str, default="qwen3:8b", help="Model name (default: qwen3:8b)"
         )
-        ask_parser.add_argument("--host", type=str, default="http://localhost:11434")
+        ask_parser.add_argument(
+            "--host",
+            type=str,
+            default=None,
+            help="Override Ollama-compatible host (defaults to LEANN_OLLAMA_HOST/OLLAMA_HOST)",
+        )
         ask_parser.add_argument(
             "--interactive", "-i", action="store_true", help="Interactive chat mode"
         )
@@ -277,6 +306,18 @@ Examples:
             default=None,
             help="Thinking budget for reasoning models (low/medium/high). Supported by GPT-Oss:20b and other reasoning models.",
         )
+        ask_parser.add_argument(
+            "--api-base",
+            type=str,
+            default=None,
+            help="Base URL for OpenAI-compatible APIs (e.g., http://localhost:10000/v1)",
+        )
+        ask_parser.add_argument(
+            "--api-key",
+            type=str,
+            default=None,
+            help="API key for OpenAI-compatible APIs (defaults to OPENAI_API_KEY)",
+        )
 
         # List command
         subparsers.add_parser("list", help="List all indexes")
@@ -1325,10 +1366,20 @@ Examples:
 
         print(f"Building index '{index_name}' with {args.backend} backend...")
 
+        embedding_options: dict[str, Any] = {}
+        if args.embedding_mode == "ollama":
+            embedding_options["host"] = resolve_ollama_host(args.embedding_host)
+        elif args.embedding_mode == "openai":
+            embedding_options["base_url"] = resolve_openai_base_url(args.embedding_api_base)
+            resolved_embedding_key = resolve_openai_api_key(args.embedding_api_key)
+            if resolved_embedding_key:
+                embedding_options["api_key"] = resolved_embedding_key
+
         builder = LeannBuilder(
             backend_name=args.backend,
             embedding_model=args.embedding_model,
             embedding_mode=args.embedding_mode,
+            embedding_options=embedding_options or None,
             graph_degree=args.graph_degree,
             complexity=args.complexity,
             is_compact=args.compact,
@@ -1476,11 +1527,38 @@ Examples:
 
         llm_config = {"type": args.llm, "model": args.model}
         if args.llm == "ollama":
-            llm_config["host"] = args.host
+            llm_config["host"] = resolve_ollama_host(args.host)
+        elif args.llm == "openai":
+            llm_config["base_url"] = resolve_openai_base_url(args.api_base)
+            resolved_api_key = resolve_openai_api_key(args.api_key)
+            if resolved_api_key:
+                llm_config["api_key"] = resolved_api_key
 
         chat = LeannChat(index_path=index_path, llm_config=llm_config)
 
+        llm_kwargs: dict[str, Any] = {}
+        if args.thinking_budget:
+            llm_kwargs["thinking_budget"] = args.thinking_budget
+
+        def _ask_once(prompt: str) -> None:
+            response = chat.ask(
+                prompt,
+                top_k=args.top_k,
+                complexity=args.complexity,
+                beam_width=args.beam_width,
+                prune_ratio=args.prune_ratio,
+                recompute_embeddings=args.recompute_embeddings,
+                pruning_strategy=args.pruning_strategy,
+                llm_kwargs=llm_kwargs,
+            )
+            print(f"LEANN: {response}")
+
+        initial_query = (args.query or "").strip()
+
         if args.interactive:
+            if initial_query:
+                _ask_once(initial_query)
+
             print("LEANN Assistant ready! Type 'quit' to exit")
             print("=" * 40)
 
@@ -1493,41 +1571,14 @@ Examples:
                 if not user_input:
                     continue
 
-                # Prepare LLM kwargs with thinking budget if specified
-                llm_kwargs = {}
-                if args.thinking_budget:
-                    llm_kwargs["thinking_budget"] = args.thinking_budget
-
-                response = chat.ask(
-                    user_input,
-                    top_k=args.top_k,
-                    complexity=args.complexity,
-                    beam_width=args.beam_width,
-                    prune_ratio=args.prune_ratio,
-                    recompute_embeddings=args.recompute_embeddings,
-                    pruning_strategy=args.pruning_strategy,
-                    llm_kwargs=llm_kwargs,
-                )
-                print(f"LEANN: {response}")
+                _ask_once(user_input)
         else:
-            query = input("Enter your question: ").strip()
-            if query:
-                # Prepare LLM kwargs with thinking budget if specified
-                llm_kwargs = {}
-                if args.thinking_budget:
-                    llm_kwargs["thinking_budget"] = args.thinking_budget
+            query = initial_query or input("Enter your question: ").strip()
+            if not query:
+                print("No question provided. Exiting.")
+                return
 
-                response = chat.ask(
-                    query,
-                    top_k=args.top_k,
-                    complexity=args.complexity,
-                    beam_width=args.beam_width,
-                    prune_ratio=args.prune_ratio,
-                    recompute_embeddings=args.recompute_embeddings,
-                    pruning_strategy=args.pruning_strategy,
-                    llm_kwargs=llm_kwargs,
-                )
-                print(f"LEANN: {response}")
+            _ask_once(query)
 
     async def run(self, args=None):
         parser = self.create_parser()

packages/leann-core/src/leann/embedding_compute.py

@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@ Preserves all optimization parameters to ensure performance
 import logging
 import os
 import time
-from typing import Any
+from typing import Any, Optional
 
 import numpy as np
 import torch
 
+from .settings import resolve_ollama_host, resolve_openai_api_key, resolve_openai_base_url
+
 # Set up logger with proper level
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 LOG_LEVEL = os.getenv("LEANN_LOG_LEVEL", "WARNING").upper()
@@ -31,6 +33,7 @@ def compute_embeddings(
     adaptive_optimization: bool = True,
     manual_tokenize: bool = False,
     max_length: int = 512,
+    provider_options: Optional[dict[str, Any]] = None,
 ) -> np.ndarray:
     """
     Unified embedding computation entry point
@@ -46,6 +49,8 @@ def compute_embeddings(
     Returns:
         Normalized embeddings array, shape: (len(texts), embedding_dim)
     """
+    provider_options = provider_options or {}
+
     if mode == "sentence-transformers":
         return compute_embeddings_sentence_transformers(
             texts,
@@ -57,11 +62,21 @@ def compute_embeddings(
             max_length=max_length,
         )
     elif mode == "openai":
-        return compute_embeddings_openai(texts, model_name)
+        return compute_embeddings_openai(
+            texts,
+            model_name,
+            base_url=provider_options.get("base_url"),
+            api_key=provider_options.get("api_key"),
+        )
     elif mode == "mlx":
         return compute_embeddings_mlx(texts, model_name)
     elif mode == "ollama":
-        return compute_embeddings_ollama(texts, model_name, is_build=is_build)
+        return compute_embeddings_ollama(
+            texts,
+            model_name,
+            is_build=is_build,
+            host=provider_options.get("host"),
+        )
     elif mode == "gemini":
         return compute_embeddings_gemini(texts, model_name, is_build=is_build)
     else:
@@ -353,12 +368,15 @@ def compute_embeddings_sentence_transformers(
     return embeddings
 
 
-def compute_embeddings_openai(texts: list[str], model_name: str) -> np.ndarray:
+def compute_embeddings_openai(
+    texts: list[str],
+    model_name: str,
+    base_url: Optional[str] = None,
+    api_key: Optional[str] = None,
+) -> np.ndarray:
     # TODO: @yichuan-w add progress bar only in build mode
     """Compute embeddings using OpenAI API"""
     try:
-        import os
-
         import openai
     except ImportError as e:
         raise ImportError(f"OpenAI package not installed: {e}")
@@ -373,16 +391,18 @@ def compute_embeddings_openai(texts: list[str], model_name: str) -> np.ndarray:
             f"Found {invalid_count} empty/invalid text(s) in input. Upstream should filter before calling OpenAI."
         )
 
-    api_key = os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY")
-    if not api_key:
+    resolved_base_url = resolve_openai_base_url(base_url)
+    resolved_api_key = resolve_openai_api_key(api_key)
+
+    if not resolved_api_key:
         raise RuntimeError("OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable not set")
 
     # Cache OpenAI client
-    cache_key = "openai_client"
+    cache_key = f"openai_client::{resolved_base_url}"
     if cache_key in _model_cache:
         client = _model_cache[cache_key]
     else:
-        client = openai.OpenAI(api_key=api_key)
+        client = openai.OpenAI(api_key=resolved_api_key, base_url=resolved_base_url)
         _model_cache[cache_key] = client
         logger.info("OpenAI client cached")
 
@@ -507,7 +527,10 @@ def compute_embeddings_mlx(chunks: list[str], model_name: str, batch_size: int =
 
 
 def compute_embeddings_ollama(
-    texts: list[str], model_name: str, is_build: bool = False, host: str = "http://localhost:11434"
+    texts: list[str],
+    model_name: str,
+    is_build: bool = False,
+    host: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> np.ndarray:
     """
     Compute embeddings using Ollama API with simplified batch processing.
@@ -518,7 +541,7 @@ def compute_embeddings_ollama(
         texts: List of texts to compute embeddings for
         model_name: Ollama model name (e.g., "nomic-embed-text", "mxbai-embed-large")
         is_build: Whether this is a build operation (shows progress bar)
-        host: Ollama host URL (default: http://localhost:11434)
+        host: Ollama host URL (defaults to environment or http://localhost:11434)
 
     Returns:
         Normalized embeddings array, shape: (len(texts), embedding_dim)
@@ -533,17 +556,19 @@ def compute_embeddings_ollama(
     if not texts:
         raise ValueError("Cannot compute embeddings for empty text list")
 
+    resolved_host = resolve_ollama_host(host)
+
     logger.info(
-        f"Computing embeddings for {len(texts)} texts using Ollama API, model: '{model_name}'"
+        f"Computing embeddings for {len(texts)} texts using Ollama API, model: '{model_name}', host: '{resolved_host}'"
     )
 
     # Check if Ollama is running
     try:
-        response = requests.get(f"{host}/api/version", timeout=5)
+        response = requests.get(f"{resolved_host}/api/version", timeout=5)
         response.raise_for_status()
     except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError:
         error_msg = (
-            f"❌ Could not connect to Ollama at {host}.\n\n"
+            f"❌ Could not connect to Ollama at {resolved_host}.\n\n"
             "Please ensure Ollama is running:\n"
             "  • macOS/Linux: ollama serve\n"
             "  • Windows: Make sure Ollama is running in the system tray\n\n"
@@ -555,7 +580,7 @@ def compute_embeddings_ollama(
 
     # Check if model exists and provide helpful suggestions
     try:
-        response = requests.get(f"{host}/api/tags", timeout=5)
+        response = requests.get(f"{resolved_host}/api/tags", timeout=5)
         response.raise_for_status()
         models = response.json()
         model_names = [model["name"] for model in models.get("models", [])]
@@ -618,7 +643,9 @@ def compute_embeddings_ollama(
         # Verify the model supports embeddings by testing it
         try:
             test_response = requests.post(
-                f"{host}/api/embeddings", json={"model": model_name, "prompt": "test"}, timeout=10
+                f"{resolved_host}/api/embeddings",
+                json={"model": model_name, "prompt": "test"},
+                timeout=10,
             )
             if test_response.status_code != 200:
                 error_msg = (
@@ -665,7 +692,7 @@ def compute_embeddings_ollama(
             while retry_count < max_retries:
                 try:
                     response = requests.post(
-                        f"{host}/api/embeddings",
+                        f"{resolved_host}/api/embeddings",
                         json={"model": model_name, "prompt": truncated_text},
                         timeout=30,
                     )

packages/leann-core/src/leann/embedding_server_manager.py

@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import time
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional
 
+from .settings import encode_provider_options
+
 # Lightweight, self-contained server manager with no cross-process inspection
 
 # Set up logging based on environment variable
@@ -82,16 +84,40 @@ class EmbeddingServerManager:
     ) -> tuple[bool, int]:
         """Start the embedding server."""
         # passages_file may be present in kwargs for server CLI, but we don't need it here
+        provider_options = kwargs.pop("provider_options", None)
+
+        config_signature = {
+            "model_name": model_name,
+            "passages_file": kwargs.get("passages_file", ""),
+            "embedding_mode": embedding_mode,
+            "provider_options": provider_options or {},
+        }
 
         # If this manager already has a live server, just reuse it
-        if self.server_process and self.server_process.poll() is None and self.server_port:
+        if (
+            self.server_process
+            and self.server_process.poll() is None
+            and self.server_port
+            and self._server_config == config_signature
+        ):
             logger.info("Reusing in-process server")
             return True, self.server_port
 
+        # Configuration changed, stop existing server before starting a new one
+        if self.server_process and self.server_process.poll() is None:
+            logger.info("Existing server configuration differs; restarting embedding server")
+            self.stop_server()
+
         # For Colab environment, use a different strategy
         if _is_colab_environment():
             logger.info("Detected Colab environment, using alternative startup strategy")
-            return self._start_server_colab(port, model_name, embedding_mode, **kwargs)
+            return self._start_server_colab(
+                port,
+                model_name,
+                embedding_mode,
+                provider_options=provider_options,
+                **kwargs,
+            )
 
         # Always pick a fresh available port
         try:
@@ -101,13 +127,21 @@ class EmbeddingServerManager:
             return False, port
 
         # Start a new server
-        return self._start_new_server(actual_port, model_name, embedding_mode, **kwargs)
+        return self._start_new_server(
+            actual_port,
+            model_name,
+            embedding_mode,
+            provider_options=provider_options,
+            config_signature=config_signature,
+            **kwargs,
+        )
 
     def _start_server_colab(
         self,
         port: int,
         model_name: str,
         embedding_mode: str = "sentence-transformers",
+        provider_options: Optional[dict] = None,
         **kwargs,
     ) -> tuple[bool, int]:
         """Start server with Colab-specific configuration."""
@@ -125,8 +159,20 @@ class EmbeddingServerManager:
 
         try:
             # In Colab, we'll use a more direct approach
-            self._launch_server_process_colab(command, actual_port)
-            return self._wait_for_server_ready_colab(actual_port)
+            self._launch_server_process_colab(
+                command,
+                actual_port,
+                provider_options=provider_options,
+            )
+            started, ready_port = self._wait_for_server_ready_colab(actual_port)
+            if started:
+                self._server_config = {
+                    "model_name": model_name,
+                    "passages_file": kwargs.get("passages_file", ""),
+                    "embedding_mode": embedding_mode,
+                    "provider_options": provider_options or {},
+                }
+            return started, ready_port
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"Failed to start embedding server in Colab: {e}")
             return False, actual_port
@@ -134,7 +180,13 @@ class EmbeddingServerManager:
     # Note: No compatibility check needed; manager is per-searcher and configs are stable per instance
 
     def _start_new_server(
-        self, port: int, model_name: str, embedding_mode: str, **kwargs
+        self,
+        port: int,
+        model_name: str,
+        embedding_mode: str,
+        provider_options: Optional[dict] = None,
+        config_signature: Optional[dict] = None,
+        **kwargs,
     ) -> tuple[bool, int]:
         """Start a new embedding server on the given port."""
         logger.info(f"Starting embedding server on port {port}...")
@@ -142,8 +194,20 @@ class EmbeddingServerManager:
         command = self._build_server_command(port, model_name, embedding_mode, **kwargs)
 
         try:
-            self._launch_server_process(command, port)
-            return self._wait_for_server_ready(port)
+            self._launch_server_process(
+                command,
+                port,
+                provider_options=provider_options,
+            )
+            started, ready_port = self._wait_for_server_ready(port)
+            if started:
+                self._server_config = config_signature or {
+                    "model_name": model_name,
+                    "passages_file": kwargs.get("passages_file", ""),
+                    "embedding_mode": embedding_mode,
+                    "provider_options": provider_options or {},
+                }
+            return started, ready_port
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"Failed to start embedding server: {e}")
             return False, port
@@ -173,7 +237,12 @@ class EmbeddingServerManager:
 
         return command
 
-    def _launch_server_process(self, command: list, port: int) -> None:
+    def _launch_server_process(
+        self,
+        command: list,
+        port: int,
+        provider_options: Optional[dict] = None,
+    ) -> None:
         """Launch the server process."""
         project_root = Path(__file__).parent.parent.parent.parent.parent
         logger.info(f"Command: {' '.join(command)}")
@@ -193,14 +262,20 @@ class EmbeddingServerManager:
 
         # Start embedding server subprocess
         logger.info(f"Starting server process with command: {' '.join(command)}")
+        env = os.environ.copy()
+        encoded_options = encode_provider_options(provider_options)
+        if encoded_options:
+            env["LEANN_EMBEDDING_OPTIONS"] = encoded_options
+
         self.server_process = subprocess.Popen(
             command,
             cwd=project_root,
             stdout=stdout_target,
             stderr=stderr_target,
+            env=env,
         )
         self.server_port = port
-        # Record config for in-process reuse
+        # Record config for in-process reuse (best effort; refined later when ready)
         try:
             self._server_config = {
                 "model_name": command[command.index("--model-name") + 1]
@@ -212,12 +287,14 @@ class EmbeddingServerManager:
                 "embedding_mode": command[command.index("--embedding-mode") + 1]
                 if "--embedding-mode" in command
                 else "sentence-transformers",
+                "provider_options": provider_options or {},
             }
         except Exception:
             self._server_config = {
                 "model_name": "",
                 "passages_file": "",
                 "embedding_mode": "sentence-transformers",
+                "provider_options": provider_options or {},
             }
         logger.info(f"Server process started with PID: {self.server_process.pid}")
 
@@ -322,16 +399,27 @@ class EmbeddingServerManager:
         # Removed: cross-process adoption no longer supported
         return
 
-    def _launch_server_process_colab(self, command: list, port: int) -> None:
+    def _launch_server_process_colab(
+        self,
+        command: list,
+        port: int,
+        provider_options: Optional[dict] = None,
+    ) -> None:
         """Launch the server process with Colab-specific settings."""
         logger.info(f"Colab Command: {' '.join(command)}")
 
         # In Colab, we need to be more careful about process management
+        env = os.environ.copy()
+        encoded_options = encode_provider_options(provider_options)
+        if encoded_options:
+            env["LEANN_EMBEDDING_OPTIONS"] = encoded_options
+
         self.server_process = subprocess.Popen(
             command,
             stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
             stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
             text=True,
+            env=env,
         )
         self.server_port = port
         logger.info(f"Colab server process started with PID: {self.server_process.pid}")
@@ -345,6 +433,7 @@ class EmbeddingServerManager:
             "model_name": "",
             "passages_file": "",
             "embedding_mode": "sentence-transformers",
+            "provider_options": provider_options or {},
         }
 
     def _wait_for_server_ready_colab(self, port: int) -> tuple[bool, int]:

packages/leann-core/src/leann/searcher_base.py

@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class BaseSearcher(LeannBackendSearcherInterface, ABC):
             print("WARNING: embedding_model not found in meta.json. Recompute will fail.")
 
         self.embedding_mode = self.meta.get("embedding_mode", "sentence-transformers")
+        self.embedding_options = self.meta.get("embedding_options", {})
 
         self.embedding_server_manager = EmbeddingServerManager(
             backend_module_name=backend_module_name,
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ class BaseSearcher(LeannBackendSearcherInterface, ABC):
             passages_file=passages_source_file,
             distance_metric=distance_metric,
             enable_warmup=kwargs.get("enable_warmup", False),
+            provider_options=self.embedding_options,
         )
         if not server_started:
             raise RuntimeError(f"Failed to start embedding server on port {actual_port}")
@@ -125,7 +127,12 @@ class BaseSearcher(LeannBackendSearcherInterface, ABC):
         from .embedding_compute import compute_embeddings
 
         embedding_mode = self.meta.get("embedding_mode", "sentence-transformers")
-        return compute_embeddings([query], self.embedding_model, embedding_mode)
+        return compute_embeddings(
+            [query],
+            self.embedding_model,
+            embedding_mode,
+            provider_options=self.embedding_options,
+        )
 
     def _compute_embedding_via_server(self, chunks: list, zmq_port: int) -> np.ndarray:
         """Compute embeddings using the ZMQ embedding server."""

packages/leann-core/src/leann/settings.py

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+"""Runtime configuration helpers for LEANN."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import os
+from typing import Any
+
+# Default fallbacks to preserve current behaviour while keeping them in one place.
+_DEFAULT_OLLAMA_HOST = "http://localhost:11434"
+_DEFAULT_OPENAI_BASE_URL = "https://api.openai.com/v1"
+
+
+def _clean_url(value: str) -> str:
+    """Normalize URL strings by stripping trailing slashes."""
+
+    return value.rstrip("/") if value else value
+
+
+def resolve_ollama_host(explicit: str | None = None) -> str:
+    """Resolve the Ollama-compatible endpoint to use."""
+
+    candidates = (
+        explicit,
+        os.getenv("LEANN_LOCAL_LLM_HOST"),
+        os.getenv("LEANN_OLLAMA_HOST"),
+        os.getenv("OLLAMA_HOST"),
+        os.getenv("LOCAL_LLM_ENDPOINT"),
+    )
+
+    for candidate in candidates:
+        if candidate:
+            return _clean_url(candidate)
+
+    return _clean_url(_DEFAULT_OLLAMA_HOST)
+
+
+def resolve_openai_base_url(explicit: str | None = None) -> str:
+    """Resolve the base URL for OpenAI-compatible services."""
+
+    candidates = (
+        explicit,
+        os.getenv("LEANN_OPENAI_BASE_URL"),
+        os.getenv("OPENAI_BASE_URL"),
+        os.getenv("LOCAL_OPENAI_BASE_URL"),
+    )
+
+    for candidate in candidates:
+        if candidate:
+            return _clean_url(candidate)
+
+    return _clean_url(_DEFAULT_OPENAI_BASE_URL)
+
+
+def resolve_openai_api_key(explicit: str | None = None) -> str | None:
+    """Resolve the API key for OpenAI-compatible services."""
+
+    if explicit:
+        return explicit
+
+    return os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY")
+
+
+def encode_provider_options(options: dict[str, Any] | None) -> str | None:
+    """Serialize provider options for child processes."""
+
+    if not options:
+        return None
+
+    try:
+        return json.dumps(options)
+    except (TypeError, ValueError):
+        # Fall back to empty payload if serialization fails
+        return None

tests/test_cli_ask.py

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+from leann.cli import LeannCLI
+
+
+def test_cli_ask_accepts_positional_query(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.chdir(tmp_path)
+
+    cli = LeannCLI()
+    parser = cli.create_parser()
+
+    args = parser.parse_args(["ask", "my-docs", "Where are prompts configured?"])
+
+    assert args.command == "ask"
+    assert args.index_name == "my-docs"
+    assert args.query == "Where are prompts configured?"